Santa Cruz METRO transit has reversed itself and restored two extra morning routes for San Lorenzo Valley students that were to be terminated on Sept.8
The cuts were part of sweeping changes that the METRO board had announced this summer after numerous public hearings and information sessions.
SLV school officials were relieved, because they had anticipated problems with both traffic and possible student tardiness because of the cuts schedule to be implemented for the vital Route 35 bus that links northern communities of Ben Lomond, Brookdale and Boulder Creek to the main Felton campus of the elementary, middle and high schools.
When informed by the Press Banner last Friday that the METRO board had decided not to cut two morning bus routes, the SLV district office rushed to place an announcement on its web site less than three days before the new school term was to begin on Monday, Aug. 22.
“The news that METRO restored morning route to San Lorenzo Valley was a welcome sound to all of us in the SLV district,” said Superintendent Laurie Bruton. “Without the support of the public transportation system, it is difficult to transport secondary students back and forth to school. This is very helpful to SLV and to the families we serve.
“We are very thankful to everyone who made this happen.”
The Press Banner learned of the change in a phone call from 5th District Supervisor Bruce McPherson, and in an email on Aug. 19 rom a METRO spokeswoman, Cayla Hill:
“We’ve made a couple of last-minute changes this week to accommodate SLV students,” she said tinin the email. “We added two AM ‘ST’ trips on the 35 departing from Country Club and Bear Creek Rd.”
She attached a detailed schedule, showing the two routes, leaving the Boulder Creek Country Club at 7:03 a.m. and arriving at the SLV High School at 7:30 a.m. , and leaving Bear Creek Road and Deerwood Road at 7:08 and arriving at the high school at 7:29 a.m., had been restored.
They had been removed in late June, when the final cuts were announced.
